Porcelain Crowns

At Hughes Dental Clinic, we make CEREC® crowns while you wait. Only one visit is needed.

Compared to fillings which just cover a small portion of a tooth, a crown (or cap) encases the entire visible portion of a tooth. In effect, the crown acts as the tooth's new outer surface. A dental crown is used when a tooth is broken or decayed to such an extent that fillings aren't able to repair the problem. The crown provides a protective shell around the broken or decayed tooth to strengthen it. The crown restores a tooth to its original shape, so your teeth bite together correctly. While crowns come in different materials, the most common crowns typically are made of full porcelain or have some mixture of porcelain in them to give them a look and feel similar to a natural tooth.

How it's done
At your visit, your dentist reshapes the tooth and takes a digital impression to create the crown. Typically a portion of your tooth will have to be removed for the crown to fit properly. After the dentist reshapes your tooth, he takes a special digital impression of the tooth. This impression is sent to the CEREC® milling machine, which makes your permanent crown.

Then your dentist ensures your new permanent crown fits comfortably and matches the color of your teeth, before permanently cementing your new crown into place.